A Horrible Winter Means...

a beautiful spring, we hope! The winter was long, long, long, and a good bit colder than previous winters. Certainly more snow than we've ever had before! We won't have any apricots this year because a late frost got all the blooms, but the apples, cherry and pear trees all seem to be doing beautifully.

This gorgeous Lilac bush is at the front corner of our yard. Our house sits on a corner, Komaromi ut (Komaromi Street) passes in front of our house and Heja utca (Heja Road) passes along the side of our yard. Our first year here I never even noticed our Lilac bush since it is outside our fence and the straw mats woven into the fence blocked the view of it. Last year I found out we had one, but it was after the bush had already bloomed. This year I am enjoying the blooms with fresh bouquets in my house for several weeks!

Even though the flowers are starting to bloom, the sun is not out a lot. Most days it is overcast. Saturday, Glenn and I worked out in the yard for 6-7 hours (yes, I'm feeling it today!) and neither one of us even got the slightest bit pink from the sun. Too cloudy.

It's been a calm week as Glenn and I quarantined ourselves from the stomach bug we caught last week. We worked on emails, and didn't even leave the house until Thursday, and that was to go get some groceries! Since there isn't a lot to tell you about in our life this week, let me share with you something from our local "superstore", Tesco.

I always get amazed at the American products that we can buy here, and the "randomness" of them all! Why do some companies come to Hungary and others don't? Why can we buy Lays potato chips in an assortment of flavors, but we can't get Fritos by Frito Lay? There are tons of other brands of potato chips, but nothing here that is equivalent to corn chips!

By the way, the Mabelline Mascara in the familiar green and pink tube is 1,399 Hungarian forints (HUF), which is equal to $6.93 (USD). I think these sell for about $3.99 at Walmart, don't they?

Freeman's facial products are some of my favorites in America, especially the facial scrub. However, I try to stock up on it when in the U.S. because a tube is $7.75 here whereas in America, the last time I bought Freeman's, it was about $3.50. Of course, it's now been 3 1/2 years since I last bought any and the price has probably gone up some.

I get a little excited when I see an American product with English on the front label, but then my excitement is squelched when I turn the package over and there on the back where the directions are, there is this white label that has been totally pasted over the English and everything is written in Hungarian. There is NO WAY to get that label off to be able to read what was under it. That's the best adhesive money can buy, for sure! Sometimes there isn't a white label; then I really get excited! That is ... until I turn the package or box over and notice that only the front was written in English and the back, sides and everything inside the box is written in Hungarian! The worst is hair dye! (Not that I use it, of course!!!)

And this just cracks me up. Why do they put the words in English on products that are produced here in Hungary and sold exclusively here? On one side of the box of milk it says Tej, and on the other side it says Milk. Honestly, in 10 years, everyone in Hungary is going to be speaking English whether they want to or not!

I told you this was a calm week. Glenn and I are here all this week so hopefully I will get caught up in emails and get in a bike ride with my hubby. Glenn is getting ready to go on a 3 day bike ride with a co-worker and his son, and he needs to build up his endurance. While Glenn goes bike riding/camping, I'm going pottery shopping (in Poland) with the guys' wife! More on that to come!

Have a great week!